Hilifaki Mata‘itohi Toketā Filōsofia (PhD) ‘o Sione Lavenita Vaka he Mala‘e ‘o e Ako Neesi (Nursing Studies) ^Featured

Na‘e ako pē ‘a Dr Sione Lavenita Vaka ‘i Tonga, ‘o kamata he ‘Apiako Lautohi Pule‘anga (GPS) Longolongo, pea ne hoko atu ki he ‘Apiako Ma‘olunga ‘o Tonga / Tonga Haisikulu pea ne toki faka‘osi ki he ‘Apiako Neesi Kuini Sālote, ‘a ia na‘a ne ako ai mo to e ngāue he Falemahaki Vaiola ko e fua neesi tangata Tonga ‘a Tonga ‘i Tonga.

Dr. Vaka mo hono Foha

Na‘e hoko atu ‘a e ako ‘a Dr Vaka ‘i Aoteroa Nu‘usila he AUT University, ‘o ma’u ai hono ongo mata‘itohi ko e Posikuletiati Setifiketi he Faiako (Postgraduate Certificate of Teaching) mo e Pekiselā he Saienisi ‘o e Mo’ui he Neesi (Bachelor of Health Science in Nursing) mo e ‘Univēsiti ‘o ‘Aokalani, ‘o to e ma‘u ai ‘a e ongo mata‘itohi ko e Posikuletiati Tipiloma he Neesi (Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing) mo e Masitā he Neesi (Master of Nursing, MN).

 Neongo na‘e fai ‘a e ako ‘a Dr Vaka he mala‘e ‘o e Ako Neesi (Nursing Studies) ka na‘e tefito ‘ene fifili mo e fekumi fakaako / fakasaienisi mo fakangāue he ongo mala‘e fihitu‘u mo faingata‘a fau ka e mahu‘inga mo ‘aonga atu ko e saikolosia (psychology) mo e sakaitulia (psychiatry), ‘a ia ko e ako ē ki he tō‘onga mo e māfihunga ‘a e ‘atamai ka e ako ē ki he taimi ‘oku uesia ai ‘ene angafai. ‘Oku lava ke ta u pehē he ‘uhinga ko ia ko Dr Vaka ko e Toketā he Me‘a Fakaneesi mo e to e Toketā he Me‘a Faka‘atamai.

Dr. Vaka

Na‘e makatu‘unga ‘a e ako ‘a Dr Vaka he‘ene fifili mo e fekumi tau‘atāina ki he puke faka‘atamai (mental illness), ‘o fakatoulōua he saikolosia mo e sakaitulia, ‘a ia na‘a ne tufunga ai ‘a e fisisi / tohi ‘oku ui ko e “A Tongan talanoa about conceptualisations, constructions and understandings of mental illness” (“Ko e talanoa fakaTonga fekau‘aki mo e ngaahi fakakaukau, fa‘unga mo e mahino ‘o e puke faka‘atamai”).

Na‘e fua tali kakato ‘e he ‘Univēsiti Mesī ke fai ‘e Dr Vaka ‘ene ako he‘enau ‘ilo-pau ‘a e fo‘ou, mālie mo ‘aonga lahi ‘ene kaveinga neongo ‘ene fihitu‘u, fepakitu‘u mo faingata‘a. Na‘e fakamo‘oni ‘eni ‘e he kau faisivi ‘ene fisisi / tohi, ‘o nau pehē ‘oku hoko ‘a e ngāue ma‘ongo‘onga mo lahi ‘a Dr Vaka ko e tukutukulaumea mo e to‘ongapō fo’ou, tolonga mo ‘aonga fau ki he ako, ‘ilo mo e poto.

Na‘e ‘ikai ngata pē hono ngāue‘aki ‘e Dr Vaka ‘a e ‘mōtolo fakaMoana / fakaTonga ‘o e talanoa’ mo e ‘mōtolo fakaMoana / fakaTonga ‘o e tufunga’ ko e ongo me‘angāue ki hono fakakaukau‘i mo fakahoko‘aki ‘a e kaveinga fekumi ka na‘a ne to e ngāue‘aki ‘a e ngaahi teoli kehekehe ke huluhulu‘aki ‘ene ngāue, ‘o kau ai ‘a e ‘teoli fakaMoana / fakaTonga tā-vā ‘o e ‘iai’ ki hono filihi mo fokihi hono fuo mo e uho, ‘o tukukehe ange hono ‘aonga.

Na‘e fakaanga‘i lahi ‘e Dr Vaka ‘oku hanga ‘e he sio fakaUēsite ‘o tapalasia ‘a e sio fakaTonga felāve‘i mo e puke faka‘atamai. Na‘a ne taukave ‘oku matu‘aki mahu‘inga ke siofi’aki pē ‘a e me’a fakaTonga ‘a e me‘a fakaTonga ka e ‘ikai ko e siofi’aki ‘a e me‘a fakaTonga ‘a e me‘a fakaUēsite, ‘a ia ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e puputu‘u, ma‘uhala mo e ta‘emahino, ‘o peisi he mo’oni ‘oku takitaha pē ‘a e founga sio ki he ‘iai, ‘o hangē tofu pē ko e kehe ‘a e lea Tonga mo e lea ‘Ingilisi.

Dr. Vaka mo hono To'uako Tonga High School

Na‘e to e mālie lahi hono hanga ‘e Dr Vaka ‘o siofi lahi-mo-ofi he‘ene fekumi mo e fifili ‘a e “fenāpasi” ‘o e “fepaki” he vaha‘a ‘o e sio fakaUēsite fekau‘aki mo e puke faka‘atamai, ‘a ia ‘oku ne ui ko e “tufunga faka-paiōsaikōsōsiolo” (‘a ia ko e liliu fakaTonga mei he lea ‘Ingilisi ko e “biopsychosocial”), mo e sio fakaTonga felāve‘i mo e puke faka‘atamai, ‘a ia ‘oku ne ui ko e “tufunga faka-Tonga.”

‘Oku ui ‘e Dr Vaka hono “fenāpasi” (mediate) ‘o e “fepaki” (conflict) he vaha‘a ‘o e sio fakaUēsite, ‘a ia ‘oku fakatokotaha mo fakakohi (that is, individualistic and linear) hono anga, mo e sio fakaTonga, ‘o fakatokolahi mo fakafuopotopoto (that is, collectivistic and circular) ‘ene to‘onga ko e “tufunga fepaki mo e fetaulaki,” ‘o tefito he mo’oni / tēneti ‘o e “teoli fakaMoana / fakaTonga tā-vā ‘o e ‘iai” ko e me‘a kotoa pē ‘oku fakafelavai (intersect), ‘o fakahoko (connect) mo fakamavahe (separate), ‘i natula, ‘atamai mo e fonua / sōsaieti.

Na‘e to e fao‘i ‘e Dr Vaka ha ‘uhinga fo’ou he‘ene fisisi / tohi he fekau‘aki vāofi ‘a e ‘atamai (mind) mo e fakakaukau (thinking), ‘a ia ‘oku na nofo he ‘uto (brain), mo e ongo (feeling) mo e loto (desire), ‘o na nofo he fatu / mafu (heart), ‘a ia ‘oku nau fakamalumalu kotoa he ongo mala‘e fakaako ‘o e saikolosia mo e sakaitulia, ‘o tefito ‘a e ‘uluaki he to‘onga ‘a e ‘atamai, fakakaukau, ongo mo e loto ka e fōkasi ‘a e ua hono uesia ‘enau tatau, potupotutatau mo e faka‘ofo‘ofa / mālie.

Dr. Vaka lolotonga e Laka

Na‘e to e tufunga ‘e Dr Vaka ha founga / sisitemi fo‘ou he‘ene fisisi / tohi hono liliu ‘a e lea ‘Ingilisi ki he lea Tonga, ‘o tefito ki he ngaahi lea saienisi mo e tekinikale, ‘a ia ‘oku fihi hono fa‘unga mo e ‘uhinga, ‘o hangē ko ‘ene liliu ‘a e lea ‘Ingilisi ko e “biopsychosocial” ki he lea Tonga ko e “paiōsaikōsosiolo,” ‘a ia ‘oku tefito hangatonu he pu‘aki / ongo, ‘o toki futinouti ‘i lalo ‘a e ‘uhinga ‘o e lea “paiō” (bio, biological, biology) ki he me‘amo‘ui, “saikō” (psycho, psychological, psychology) ki he ‘atamai mo e “sosiolo” (socio, social, society) ki he kakai.

Na‘e faiako ‘a Dr Vaka he mala‘e ‘o e saikolosia mo e sakaitulia he ngaahi ‘univēsiti mo e politekiniki mo ngāue mo fale‘i he puke faka‘atamai he ngaahi kautaha mo e ngāue‘anga, ‘i Aotearoa Nu‘usila, ‘o makatu‘unga he‘ene ‘ilo, poto mo e taukei fo‘ou mei he‘ene fekumi mo e fifili ‘oku tefito he puke faka‘atamai he malumalu ‘o e mala‘e ‘o e saikolosia mo e sakaitulia, ‘o ‘ikai ngata pē he sio fakaTonga (‘ilo mo e poto tupu‘a ‘oku fa‘oaki he fonua mo fetu‘utaki he tala) ka e pehē ki he’ene fakafelalavai, pē fakahoko mo fakamavahe, mo e sio fakaUēsite (‘ilo mo e poto tu‘ufonua ‘oku fa‘oaki he culture mo fetu‘utaki he language) .

‘Oku ‘ikai ngata ai ka kuo ‘osi lau ‘e Dr Vaka ‘ene ngaahi pepa mālie mo mahu‘inga he ngaahi seminā, simipōsia mo e konifelenisi fakalotofonua mo fakavaha‘apule‘anga, ‘o kau ai ‘a Tonga, Moana Pasifiki mo muli foki ka e to e pehē hono pulusi ‘ene ngaahi ‘atikolo he sēnolo mo e vahe he tohi, ‘a ia na‘e tefito he ngaahi ‘ilo mo e poto fo‘ou he‘ene fekumi mo e fifili. ‘Oku lotolotonga faiako tu‘uma‘u ‘a Dr Vaka he kotoa ‘o e ngaahi kemipasi / va‘a ‘a e ‘Univēsiti Mesī ka e peisi he kemipasi ‘Alapanī ‘i ‘Aokalani.

Taki mai 'e Dr. Vaka 'a e Kau Ako Mo'ui (Health)

Na‘e takimui ‘a Palōfesa Annette Huntington, Dr Petula Brannelly mo Palōfesa Hūfanga Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina hono supavaisi ‘a e fisisi / tohi ‘a Dr Vaka, ‘o nau fale‘i, fakataukei mo e fakalotolahi ‘a Dr Vaka he‘ene takimu‘a he fekuki mo fekumi ta‘etuku hono filihi mo fokihi ‘ene tōpiki, ‘Oku lotolotonga taki ‘a Dr Vaka he‘ena poloseki fekumi he “ongo,” “loto” mo e “sino” mo Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine, ‘a ia ‘oku teuaki ‘ene ako PhD he ‘akitekisā, ‘o fale‘i pē ki ai ‘a Palōfesa Hūfanga Dr Māhina.

Na‘e lava lelei mo e talitali mohu fiefia mo māfana ‘a e fāmili mo e kāinga he efiafi Tu‘apulululu ‘aho 23, ‘o kamata‘aki ‘a e kava ako ‘o Dr Vaka na‘e fakahoko hono ouau ‘e Faleafā-‘o-‘Atalanga mo Sākeasi mo e kau matāpule. Na‘e hoko atu ki he ‘ilo fakataha mo e fakame‘ite ko e ma‘alali ‘o e ako kaafakafa kuo lava mo e ikuna fungani     kuo feia. Na‘e me‘a he kātoanga ni ‘a ‘Elenoa Tupouniua, Paku Fakafanua mo hou‘eiki, kau taula‘eiki mo e kau ‘akatēmika, kaungāako mo  e kaungāmaheni ka e pehe foki ki ha‘a tautonu.

Ko e tamai ‘a Dr Vaka ko Malakai Vaka mei Neiafu, Vai-ko-Lelea, Vava‘u Lahi, mo Lōfanga, Tokomea, Ha‘apai Veu, mo e fa‘ē ko ‘Asilika Fifita Vaivai Tātuila Vaka mei Lapaha, Kolokakala, Mu‘a, Tongatapu, mo e ‘ohoana ‘ofa‘anga ko Olaka‘aina Tupouniua-Vaka mei Vava‘u Lahi mo e Sia-ko-Veiongo mo Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, mo hona foha ko Ma‘afu Tu‘i Lau Vaka.